Checking In

I thought I would get better at blogging once I graduated but that hasn't seemed to happen. I want to be better at it but I guess I have a hard time actually sitting down to blog. And an even harder time coming up with things to say. Sure we do stuff but I always forget to take pictures. I'm also going to get better at that because I am going to pick out and buy my new camera tomorrow. I think I have decided on buying a Nikon D5000. The whole going to buy it has made me quite nervous. I have been wanting one for several years now so for graduation I asked for money to help buy one. So between that money and the money that I have saved I'm going to take the plunge. So what has been going on with us?...

I started work about 3 weeks ago. I have been on the floor for 5 days now. I worked 3 days the first week, then we had General Nursing Orientation for 2 weeks, then this week I worked 2 night shifts. I like working nights but they are definitely going to take some time to get used to. Although I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did staying awake! I got a little sleepy about 3 in the morning but it passed pretty quickly so that was good. I really think I am going to love my job. At first I was really disappointed that I wasn't going to be working in the ER. But I really like the medical floor I am on. There is such a wide variety of kids and different diseases. I think I will really learn a lot and be able to be a very well rounded nurse. And eventually I want to cross train to the ER so I can pick up shifts.

Another big thing we have done is move into our house!! I will post pictures this weekend after I get my camera, hopefully....

OK well I guess those are the biggest things that have been going on. Next week Jayci is doing swimming lessons. I am so excited. She is actually already swimming pretty well but I wanted to put her in lessons to help build her confidence and my confidence in her swimming. Hopefully I will get some pictures of that too.

OK well I guess that is it for now. Next time I will have some pictures to share!

A Couple of Random Videos

This weekend has been a pretty relaxing weekend. We've pretty much stayed at home and did stuff around the house.

This first video is of Jayci dancing to a new CD she received from church this morning. Instead of doing a week of VBS we are doing a summer of VBS every Sunday. The girl loves to dance. However, you will see below why we are hopefully going to start dance lessons in the fall. Also every now and then you will see her mouth moving that is just her trying to sing the song. It's hilarious because she really doesn't know the song.


The next video is of her doing her "cheers." We went to a "garage" sell at a local high school that the dance team was hosting on Saturday morning. And there they were the perfect pair of pom-poms. She loves them! She thinks she is just so big.
*Sorry the video is side ways. I don't really know how to turn it.


* Oh and in both of these videos you can see a mess behind her. Her bedroom is still a mess from the sleepover Friday night. I figure I am just going to be packing it up this week anyway. The same goes for the living room.

Hopefully everyone will have a good week. Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm not really excited about this birthday. I will be 26 which I know is not old by any means but UGH I hate birthdays. Plus my hubby will be out of town so that stinks too. Oh well, Life goes on. I am looking forward to going to lunch with some of my friends from school tomorrow! Enjoy your week.

Summer is Upon Us!!!

So today was such a fun day. We started out going to the Museum of Discover which was pretty fun. The kids had a blast. I think this boat was their favorite part. They played in it forever!

After that we went to a great little part downtown in the River Market. We love this water park. I wish we had more.

Jayci and Olivia

Julie & Jayci

Loving the water

After the park cousin McKenna came over for a sleep over. This was our first sleep over ever so we were pretty excited.

Of course every good sleep over is not complete without Barbies!

Off to bed after lots of fun play time!

I absolutely love summer time. I mean Fall is my very favorite season but I love the lake, the water parks, and swimming so I am glad summer is upon us!

Maternity photos

This weekend we have spent a lot of time with family. Yesterday we spent the day at the in-laws in the pool. Which was fabulous! I love the pool and the sun! Today my husband's side of the family had a small reunion at a local park. While we were there my SIL, Cori, and I left and took some maternity pictures. I love to take photos. Every year I take Jayci's birthday pictures but I have never really taken any other pictures. So this was a new experience. It was fun and I think they turned out really well. I mean for a amateur and all!

Here is a collage of a few of the pictures that I took. Literally I took over a hundred pictures so theses are just a few.

I will have a few more pictures to post tomorrow of yesterday swimming and I think the hubby, the princess, and I are going to do something fun tomorrow so hopefully I will get pictures then too. I have a really hard time taking pictures if it's not planned. I usually just get so caught up in the fun I forget. I hope each of you have had a safe and fun weekend.

Wants

Do you ever just want something so bad that ________(insert whatever)? That is kind of how I feel right this second. I'm feeling a little selfish right now so I think I will throw my self a little pitty party. You can join me or not. The choice is yours. I'm going to type out what I want right now then I'm going to praise God for what I have and get on with life.

Right now....I want my husband to walk through the front door. I am not a needy kind of person and him being out of town doesn't usually bother me. But for the last 4 weeks he has been gone for 3 of them. He leaves on Monday and returns on Thursday. So yes he will be home today at some point but I want him here NOW. I want a new camera. Not just any camera, a digital SLR camera. I have the money for said camera but the house buying process is not going as I want it to so I'm holding off on buying said camera in fear that we may need that money for the house. Yes I know silly to want a camera more than a house. And it's really not that I want it more it's just I had hopes that the camera would be my graduation present. I worked hard to finish school and the camera is honestly the one thing I wanted as a reward. Well besides a job and all. I want the government to add money back to the USDA home loan so we can get said house and said camera. I want the State Board of Nursing to get me my temporary licence and my okay to take NCLEX. That way I can start my job on June 7th (which is my b-day). I want to hurry and take (and pass) NCLEX because I want a baby so bad my heart hurts. I love Jayci so much and she asks me on a weekly bases when we are going to have another baby. I want to give her a sibling so badly. Oh and the beauty queen answer to end my party "I want world peace." Ha.

Okay so that's not a lot to ask right? Well now I'm going to be thankful that I have a husband that is coming home to me. He will probably even be here within the next hour or so. I am thankful for a home that is already over my head. It is not much and we rent it but I have everything I need right here. I'm thankful for the small camera that has taken so many pictures of my family through the years. I am thankful for the job I have because not everybody can say they even have that. I'm thankful that I just graduated and my stuff will get here in due time. I am so so thankful for the little girl that brightens my day every time she smiles. I am human and I am selfish but I am mostly thankful for a God that will forgive me for my selfish times.

He has blessed me more than I could ever imagine. I know without Him I would be nothing.

Okay my party is over. Time to move on! Thanks for reading. The next post will hopefully be a little more happy.

Oh look my hubby just walked through the door. :) All in God's timing...

Everybody Loves a Good T-Shirt!!!

For starters, I don't usually link up to other blogs for giveaways. I don't know why I just usually don't win and I don't really have time. However, this blog is different. These are some friends that have been such an encouragement to us so I really want to spread the word and help them bring their little girl home!

To be completely honest I am not even linking up to win because I have already bought one of these great FABULOUS t-shirts for my husband and myself both.

Front of Shirt

Back of Trent

So how do you get one of these t-shirts???
Go to the Picker's blog and buy one of these fabulous shirts.
or You can also sign up to win one by following the instructions on this LINK!

This is a wonderful family and I hope that you will feel moved to support them in bringing their baby girl home from Ethiopia!

GRADUATION

Well for the 2 1/2 years I have been attending UAMS's College of Nursing. As of yesterday, May 15, 2010, I officially have my BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) degree. This has been such a long hard road. As hard as it has been I can honestly say that I will probably miss it just a little bit. I mean for the last 2 1/2 years I have spent almost every day at this school. I have made some fabulous, life-long friends. I will really miss seeing them every day.

For more exciting news, I received an award from my instructors for demonstrating academic ability and leadership in professional activities. I can only expect that this award stands for a lot of the volunteer activities I headed and for chairing the Community Service Committee. I did both of these because I love to do them not for the recognition but I do have to say it was really nice to get recognized. It was a complete surprise and it came with a little bit of a cash prize which was REALLY nice.

I will leave you with a few pictures of Friday and Saturday night. Yes, we had a two ceremony's. Friday night was a recognition ceremony for just the College of Nursing and Saturday was the actual commencement. Both were very long and slightly boring but glad it is done with.

This is me with my wonderful and oh so supporting husband. I could not have done any of this without him. He has pretty much graduated with me and deserves a degree all to himself. He has held me as I've cried, laughed with me, forgiven me for taking my anger and tiredness out on him. Nursing school is not easy and it has definitely put a hitch in our marriage at times. Through it all though he has been there. I am so lucky that God choose the perfect husband to go on this journey with me.

My beautiful daughter, Jayci, and I. She has been such a trooper through all of it as well. It probably doesn't even really effect her but it has. She has crawled up beside me while I was studying with her coloring book and crayons several times just so she could do her "homework."

This is Jayci and I with my mom. She lives in Illinois and came down for graduation. We had a really good weekend with Mimi.

A few of the greatest future nurses. Holly, Mary, Me, and Stephanie. Each of us are a little different but I don't think I could have made it through school without such great women to go through it all with.

My family!

My mom and I

This is Saturday night before commencement. It was kind of bright so Jayci pretty much refused to look at the camera.

Me and my girl! She matched mommy in her white and black! And yes it was on purpose. Ha

Just me after graduation! Kristen B. BSN, RN!!!

My wonderful aunts organized me a wonderful graduation party. It was more than I could have ever asked for. Hopefully I will get pictures from my aunts soon and be able to post them.